Dog Snatched by Eagle Survives Terrifying Encounter

Posted Jan 8, 2018Colleen

It was a happy ending to a terrifying story for one Pennsylvania family.

An 8lb Bichon Frise was snatched out of the families backyard by a massive bird of prey. An eagle decided to turn the fluffy white pup into a snack on one frigid Tuesday in January. Apparently, the giant birds will resort to small pets during the winter months when food is scarce.

“It seemed like something from the Wizard of Oz,” said Felipe Rodriguez, who witnessed the dognapping. “I’m a city boy. This doesn’t happen in my world.”

Rodriguez said the massive predator swooped into Monica Newhard’s fenced backyard, picked up the small white dog in its talons and flew off over the trees.

Rodriguez, who was watching Zoey, the dog during a visit from Chicago, tried to follow the pair in his car through the wooded neighborhood. Unfortunately, the bird and the dog got away.

The grieving family searched the area with no luck but, later that night one of Newhard’s neighbors found Zoey, curled up and whimpering on a back road four miles from home.

The pup was injured and freezing, with icicles hanging off of her fur. Christina Hartman wrapped Zoey in a blanket and fed her chicken soup. Hartman later saw a Facebook post about the missing dog and was able to reunite Zoey with her family.

The 7-year-old pup’s a fighter. She’s missing some fur and walks with a limp, but that’s a small price to pay after fighting off an eagle.